A Change of Heart An Ikarishipping Story
by Solora Goldsun
Summary: Paul finally realizes the consequences of his cruelty. Will Dawn help him realize that he can have a second chance? Enjoy! I don't own Pokemon. Rated T for subject of death. CHAPTER 3 UP!
1. Chapter 1

**I think IkariShipping is ADORABLE!!! I mean, Dawn and Paul are complete opposites…it's perfect! In this one, Paul gets into a battle on very dangerous terrain and his Torterra almost dies as a result of his cruelty. He finally realizes how horrible he was to his Pokemon and decides to give up training. Will Dawn help him realize that he can change? Enjoy!**

"Torterra, use Stone Edge!" Paul watched his Pokemon try to attack his opponent's Infernape. Infernape easily dodged and sent an Overheat attack at Torterra, pushing him dangerously close to the edge. "Don't go falling in!" Paul shouted angrily as Torterra stumbled, almost falling into the magma below. His opponent laughed cruelly.

"What a wimpy trainer! You should have known that I'd beat you!" Paul glared at the trainer across from him. They shared the same beliefs when it came to training and were pretty evenly matched.

"Don't be so sure! Torterra, use Stone Edge!" Torterra flew at Infernape who waited until the last minute before leaping to the side. Torterra let out a yell before hurtling over the edge. Paul called out. "Torterra! Climb up!" His opponent started to laugh again.

"I'd give up if I were you! You know what'll happen if he falls!" Paul rolled his eyes.

"He can take it! Climb, Torterra!" He ran to the edge and looked down. Sure enough, his Torterra was struggling to climb up. 'It takes more than a bit of lava to beat me!' At that moment, however, his opponent did something completely low… He sent down his Infernape who mercilessly pushed Torterra off of the rocks. Paul's eyes grew wide and for the first time in his life, he was scared. "Torterra! Grab something with Vine Whip!" Torterra shot out his vines and latched onto a rock which Infernape immediately crushed. All at once, Torterra went flying into the magma. Paul's eyes grew wide with disbelief. He quickly pulled out his Pokeball. "Torterra! Return!" A red light shot down into the lava, bringing his Pokemon back in. His opponent recalled his Infernape and laughed.

"Like I said, you're a wimp! That Torterra will be dead within an hour!" Paul turned angrily toward him. He brought back his fist and slammed it into the boy's face before running off.

'He's right…Torterra can't survive injuries like that for very long…' He paused. 'Maybe it's not so bad…' He threw his Pokeball. "Go, Torterra!" He felt sick to his stomach when he saw his Torterra. The tree on his shell was smoldering, his skin was scorched and burned, and his eyes were almost swollen shut. Torterra looked at him for a moment before bowing his head in shame. Paul's eyes grew wider. 'He's ashamed of losing…even in this condition…' He brought Torterra back into his Pokeball. 'What have I done to him…?' He started bolting for the nearest Pokemon Center.

……………………………………………..

Dawn sighed in relief as they arrived in the Pokemon Center. "Thank goodness!" She looked around. "But…where's Nurse Joy?" At that moment, Nurse Joy ran past. "Excuse me?" She called. Nurse Joy turned to her quickly.

"I'm sorry but you'll have to wait. We have a Torterra in very, very serious condition. I need to hurry." She turned and rushed into the emergency room area. Dawn blinked and turned to Ash and Brock.

"That doesn't sound good…I hope it'll be okay…" That was when she noticed Paul pacing back and forth in the shadowy area of the Center. "Hey, Paul." Paul barely glanced at her as he continued pacing. Dawn paused. "Paul…is that your Torterra Nurse Joy was talking about?" Paul stopped pacing for a moment, looked at her, and resumed pacing. Dawn immediately knew that it was. Ash was immediately furious.

"What did you do to him?!" Paul didn't answer. Ash walked over and grabbed him by the front of his shirt. "I repeat: What did you do to him?" Paul stared back at Ash emotionlessly.

"I battled." He pushed Ash off and continued pacing. Ash fumed.

"Typical! Only you would battle your very own starter Pokemon within an inch of his life!" Paul didn't reply. Ash was really mad now. "You're nothing more than a heartless slave driver!" Paul stopped pacing at this comment.

"Ash!" Dawn said quickly, noticing the change in Paul's expression. He didn't look quite so emotionless now… Ash didn't listen. He was on a roll.

"Why your Pokemon put up with you, I don't know! You don't love them or care for them! You are hateful toward people and Pokemon alike! It's no wonder you don't have any friends!" Paul turned on Ash angrily.

"Shut up!" He shouted at him. Ash froze. Paul didn't normally respond to Ash when he criticized him. Dawn stared at Paul. She could see something that no one else could: deep sadness and regret in his eyes. She took a step toward him.

"Paul…" Paul turned away.

"Just go away…" His voice cracked for a moment before he walked off to a corner. Dawn watched him with a sad look on her face. At that moment, Nurse Joy walked out. She looked very depressed.

"How is he?" Dawn asked. Nurse Joy sighed.

"Well we stabled his condition but I doubt that he will live to see tomorrow…" At that moment, Paul ran past everyone. He slammed open the doors of the Pokemon Center and bolted off. Ash, Brock, and Dawn rushed after him. They finally found him standing by a tree. They were all shocked when they heard the muffled sobs coming from him. Dawn took a step toward him.

"Paul…" Paul turned and glared at the three, tears running down his face.

"What?" Dawn sighed.

"Look, Torterra is a strong Pokemon. I'm sure he'll pull through!" Paul shrugged.

"It doesn't matter if he does. Either way, he's got a bad future." Paul pulled out his other five Pokeballs and gazed at them thoughtfully. "I did this to him. I don't deserve to be a Pokemon trainer." He walked over and handed Dawn two of his Pokeballs. "My Ursaring and Weavile. I'm sure that they could do well in Contests." He ignored Dawn's protests and walked over to Brock, handing him two more Pokeballs. "My Magmortor and Honchcrow. I know you'll take good care of them." He then turned to Ash and handed him the last Pokeball. "I'm the pathetic one, not you. If Torterra lives, I want you to have him as well. He and Electabuzz will help you a lot in Gym battles." He turned and ran off. Dawn called after him.

"Paul! Wait!" She looked down at the two Pokeballs in her hands. 'Paul…' She turned to Ash. "You shouldn't have said those things to him, Ash!" Ash turned toward her angrily.

"Everything I said was true and you know it!" He growled. He threw his Pokeball. Electabuzz looked around for Paul. Ash walked over to him. "Paul gave you to me, Electabuzz. Don't worry, I'll be much kinder to you." Electabuzz nodded but didn't look entirely happy… Dawn sighed and threw her own Pokeballs.

"Ursaring and Weavile!" She called. Her two new Pokemon looked at her in confusion. "Paul gave you guys to me." They both gasped in shock. Brock looked toward Dawn.

"You know what doesn't make sense? This goes over the limit of Pokemon that you're both allowed to carry and nothing was transported into your PC." Dawn tilted her head.

"What does that mean, Brock?" Brock watched Paul go.

"It means that there's still some hope for Paul. His Pokemon still belong to him. They have faith that he'll change." Dawn smiled.

"If that's true, I'll help him!"

**Continue? Don't continue? Review and gimme your opinions.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Okay, I've gotten enough requests to continue! Here's Chapter 2!**

Paul sat down on a tree stump overlooking a lake. He had never felt so alone. He felt his pockets and sighed. 'I never realized how I took my Pokemon for granted…' He thought sadly. 'Well…they're better off now…except for…' He couldn't even bare to think of his Torterra. With a sniffle, he buried his face in his arms. He cried silently for a few minutes before he felt a claw on his shoulder.

"Weavile." Paul turned to see his Weavile staring at him. "Wea-Weavile!" He looked up to see Dawn and Ursaring walking toward him. He quickly turned away.

"What?" He asked, though his voice didn't sound as bitter as it always does. Dawn sat down next to him.

"You don't have to give up on training, you know." Paul glared at her.

"Easy for you to say! You didn't battle your Piplup to death!" Dawn gazed at him with sympathy.

"You made a mistake. All trainers do." Paul turned away.

"Not as big as my mistake…"

"Ash told me that he battled his Pikachu against a Magmar once. He was one step from not returning Pikachu, even when Magmar was going to Fire Blast him into the lava." Paul sighed.

"The difference here is that Ash DID return Pikachu before it was too late." He sighed. "You'd might as well go. I'm not changing my mind."

"That may be true but neither are your Pokemon."

"What do you mean?" Dawn indicated Weavile and Ursaring.

"Look at them! They go over my limit of Pokemon I'm allowed to have but they didn't get transported to Professor Rowan. They still belong to you, Paul. They are still loyal to you." Paul turned toward the two Pokemon.

"Is this true?" Weavile and Ursaring nodded earnestly. Paul's eyes started to blur.

"Not only that, but Electabuzz goes over Ash's limit as well! Honchcrow and Magmortor probably feel the same way as well!" Paul shook his head.

"I don't deserve this…" Weavile put a claw on his arm and gazed earnestly at him.

"Weavile!" Paul stared at Weavile.

"How can you still believe in me? I killed Torterra!" Ursaring let out a growl and shook his head back and forth. Dawn nodded in agreement.

"Ursaring is right, Paul! Torterra isn't dead yet!"

"He's as good as…" Dawn stood up and put her hands on her hips.

"That's the exact kind of attitude that is the difference between life and death!" Paul blinked and stared up at her.

"Huh?"

"If you support Torterra, urge him on, and give him a reason to fight his injuries, he will live!" Paul got a small gleam of hope in his eye but still looked unsure.

"I've never been supportive of my Pokemon…at least not like how you guys are. How do I start?" Dawn held out her hand to him.

"Follow me! I'll help you out!" Paul stared at her for a few seconds before slowly placing his hand into hers. She helped him up, noting how rough his skin was from excessive training. She then turned and ran back toward the Pokemon Center, still holding onto his hand.

As Paul was pulled along by Dawn, he felt the burden in his heart slowly beginning to lighten. There couldn't be any hope for Torterra and yet…Dawn made it seem possible. He allowed himself to gently grip her soft, cool hand. Dawn believed in him. Weavile and Ursaring believed in him. Maybe…there was a chance after all. As they opened the doors of the Center, Paul was acutely aware of the high amount of nurses going into Torterra's room. He stopped in his tracks. Dawn turned toward him.

"What's the matter?" Paul let out a sound that was a cross between a groan and a sigh.

"I don't know if I can do this. After how I treated him, I don't know if I'll be able to look him in the face." Dawn took her hand out of his and placed it on his shoulder.

"Paul, think about Torterra. Think of your Pokemon. They still love you, whether you know it or not. You have to be brave." Paul nodded, clearly solidifying his reserve.

"Okay…let's go in." He walked past Nurse Joy, who gave him an inquisitive look before allowing him and Dawn into the room. He felt a sick feeling come to his stomach as he looked at what was left of his Pokemon. Torterra's skin was even more scorched than he remembered and his wounds were so wide and painful looking… Resisting the urge to vomit, Paul approached Torterra. "H-hey, Torterra." He whispered softly, afraid to speak too loudly. Torterra's eyes opened slowly.

"Terra…Torterra…" He muttered in a voice that was only a shadow of its normal sound. He then closed his eyes and turned away from Paul.

"I understand, Torterra. I understand if you never want to look at me again." Torterra's eyes opened again.

"Terra?" What was Paul saying? He injured himself and lost the battle! He was an inconvenience to his partner. Why would Paul be putting the blame on himself?

"I battled you too hard. I didn't think about you. I only thought about myself. Now…you're hurt and it's all my fault. I'm…I'm…I'm so sorry, Torterra!" He couldn't say anymore as his throat closed and tears streamed down his face. Torterra lifted his head and stared wide eyed at Paul.

Paul was crying! He was apologizing?! He thought it was his own fault! He was crying! Torterra felt remorse wash over him. Paul shouldn't be crying! This wasn't right! Leaning forward, ignoring his burns' protests, he began to lick Paul's cheeks free of the tears. _"Don't cry, Paul! Please stop!"_

"Terra! Torterra!" Lick, lick, lick.

Paul's felt his heart melt at the feeling of Torterra's sandpaper-like tongue wiping his tears away. 'He doesn't hate me after all…' He gently stroked Torterra's forehead, being careful of the burns. "Try and make it, Torterra." He murmured. "I want you to fight harder than you've ever fought in your life. That's the only way you'll live." Torterra's eyes gleamed, echoing Paul's determination. "You have a better future waiting for you, Torterra! I'm going to give you to Ash if you get better." He quickly corrected himself. "_When_ you get better. He'll take better care of you!" He was surprised by Torterra's sudden violent shout of protest.

"TERRA!!!" He shook his head violently before letting out a groan and passing out. Nurses immediately pushed Paul back and rushed to the Pokemon's aid.

Paul felt his heart freeze. "What just happened?!" He turned to Dawn. "What did I do?!" Dawn breathed a sigh.

"I told you already that your Pokemon want to stay with you! Torterra was your first Pokemon! He's more loyal to you than any of them! He doesn't want to be given away to anyone else!" Paul turned and stared at Torterra as the Nurses worked on reviving him. "Paul, might I suggest something? Don't bring up your plan of giving Torterra away again. The last thing we need is for him to be upset again." Paul nodded.

"Okay. What do we do now? I don't think I'll be allowed near Torterra again right now…" Dawn turned toward the window where Ursaring and Weavile were watching.

"That's okay. You gave him hope to keep fighting until tomorrow. I know that he'll do just that! In the meantime, you have two more Pokemon to bond with." She held out Ursaring and Weavile's Pokeballs. Paul hesitated before taking them out of her hands. He stared at the two Pokeballs for a long time before finally staring at Dawn again.

"I don't even know where to start!" He stared out at Ursaring and Weavile. "This is completely new to me!"

"It's not so hard! You'll learn." Dawn said with her usual brightness. Paul turned toward her with an almost shy expression on his face. Dawn couldn't help but feel surprised at this new Paul she was seeing! He was so…vulnerable…

"Will you teach me?" He finally muttered, fully aware that he was putting his emotions out into the open for Dawn. To his surprise and delight, Dawn's eyes softened and she smiled and nodded.

"Of course I will, Paul!" Maybe there was hope after all… "We'll start right away!"

**I was suffering major writer's block for awhile but I just kept telling myself to write this Chapter. If Paul is kinda OOC, it's because Torterra's almost death is kinda throwing his feelings out of whack. Plus, I believe that he already likes Dawn so he's technically not completely OOC.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Okay ya'll! Apparently I just had to get over that one rut because the ideas are simply flowing now! For my fellow lovers of Harvest Moon: Island of Happiness, you'll recognize part of this as a reference to Vaughn's Blue Heart Event. ^_^ Anyway, there will be increasing fluffiness as Dawn teaches Paul to take care of his Pokemon.**

"Okay, Paul. The first lesson is simple. Smile." Paul stared at Dawn, uncomprehending.

"Huh?" He was genuinely confused. "What does that have to do with anything?" Dawn picked up Piplup and stroked his feathers.

"Pokemon need to know that they're loved. Smiling is the easiest way to show that. Go on. Smile at Weavile and Ursaring." Paul turned toward Weavile and Ursaring.

"Okay…" He paused for a moment. "How is this?" He heard Dawn breath a sigh.

"Not even close. You're supposed to turn the corners of your mouth _up_, Paul!" She watched the right corner of Paul's mouth twitch slightly.

"This?" Surely he had it right this time.

"No. Absolutely not." Dawn replied, feeling a combination of shock and pity. 'He hasn't smiled for so long, he's forgotten how.' "Come on, Paul! Like this!" She smiled warmly at him. Why was his face turning red?

Paul tried once more, only to be shot down again. "Can we skip this and try something else? I'm not getting this!" Dawn shook her head.

"No way, Paul! Until you smile at Weavile and Ursaring, we aren't going any further." Paul groaned.

"Fine…" He turned toward his Pokemon, who were waiting patiently. "This feels so weird…" He muttered sulkingly.

"Just try, Paul! I'd really like to see what your smile looks like!" Dawn said before quickly shutting up, surprised by her boldness. She saw Paul slowly turned his head to face her.

"Y-you what?" He blinked a few times, dumbfounded. 'She wants to see my…smile? Why?' He saw Dawn's face flush and she quickly turned away.

"I…I just never saw you really smile before. You always seem unhappy. And…I guess I want you to be happy. I mean, seeing people sad always brings me down so…" She stuttered a little.

At that moment, Brock walked through the trees toward them. "Hey, guys! I heard that you're deciding to get back on track, Paul." Paul nodded. "Well, you'll need these." He handed Paul the Pokeballs that contained Magmortor and Honchcrow.

"Thanks, Brock." Paul whispered, glancing behind Brock warily. "Um…has Ash…" Brock shook his head.

"He's not so easy. He doesn't want to give Electabuzz back until he thinks that you'll really take good care of him."

"I understand." He looked down at his two Pokeballs. "Go Magmortor and Honchcrow!" He threw the two Pokeballs.

"Crow? Honchcrow?"

"Mortor!"

The two Pokemon turned and stared curiously at Paul. "Hey, guys. I've decided not to give up just yet." Honchcrow let out a jubilant cry and Magmortor pumped his fist in the air. 'Dawn really wasn't kidding…' He thought to himself. He glanced up at the sky. "Wow, it's already dark out. Let's go in." He returned his Pokemon before walking into the Pokemon Center with Dawn and Brock. 'Oh no…' He thought as he walked in, seeing Ash waiting for him. He wasn't liking his expression…

"What did you do?!" Ash asked as soon as Paul walked in. Paul walked past Ash and gave his Pokemon to Nurse Joy.

"What are you talking about?" Paul replied, bringing back his trademark cold tone and putting a stony expression on his face. 'No use wasting any emotion on him…' Better Trainer or not, Ash still annoyed the heck out of Paul. No questions asked.

"What did you do to upset Torterra?! I was just talking to Nurse Joy! Did you change your mind? Did you decide to go in to crack the whip?" Paul walked past him and sat down in an armchair, not answering. Ash started fuming. "Paul! Look at me!"

"If you're gonna start preaching again, you'd might as well quit while you're ahead." Paul replied, silently noting the steam coming off of Ash's head by this point. Ash's reactions were always quite amusing.

"I think that Dawn and Brock were insane to give you back your Pokemon! As far as I can see, you still don't deserve them!" Ash was mad now. Usually, when Paul brushed him off, it meant that he was right in his assumptions. 'How could he do that to Torterra while he's already injured?!' Ash thought, bemused. 'He had really seemed to understand his mistake before…'

Paul replied in a way that he knew would tick Ash off. "Did you say something? I wasn't listening." He said in a fake confused tone. Ash picked up on what he was trying to do immediately.

"What the heck is the matter with you?!" Ash shouted angrily. "You're horrible to people. You're horrible to Pokemon. Sometimes I wonder if you're even human!"

"Ash!" Dawn shouted, not wanting another fight to start. 'Paul…stop aggravating him…'

"No. I'm a robot. Beep, beep." Paul said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. Ash threw his arms in the air.

"Is this all just a big joke to you?! Your Torterra is dying for crying out loud!" Paul stood up and stared Ash in the eye.

"The reason Torterra was angered today was because I mentioned that you would be his new Trainer. What does that tell you, huh?" He spat angrily. "Well you can forget it, pathetic! None of my Pokemon will obey you. Ever." He stalked out of the Center, slamming the door behind him.

Dawn groaned and stood up. "I'll follow him. You both really need to keep your tempers under control." She walked through the still swinging doors. Ash turned to Brock.

"Is this true?" Brock nodded slowly.

"Yeah. Dawn told me." Ash sank back into his chair.

"Why would the idea of being my Pokemon be so bad?" Brock shrugged.

"Think of it this way: How would Pikachu react if you told him that you were giving him to someone else."

"I can understand that I suppose…"

"Remember, Ash. Pokemon are very loyal, no matter what the circumstances are. Paul's Pokemon are the exact same way."

"I guess…but I'm still not ready to give Electabuzz back yet!"

"I know. We'll see in time." Ash turned toward the door.

"Will they be okay? It's kinda cold out and if I know Paul, he won't be coming back in here." Brock waved his hand dismissively.

"They'll be fine, Ash. Remember Snowpoint? This weather is nothing in comparison."

"I guess…" Ash was still a little worried.

Dawn saw Paul sitting in the woods, close to an old fire pit. She cautiously approached him. "H-hey, Paul." Paul glanced up and nodded at her before going back to staring into space. She sat down next to him. "You know how hard headed Ash is. Don't think too much of it. Though, you could have been a little more responsive. I think that's the main reason Ash got mad."

"Hn."

"Maybe you should come back to the Center. It's really chilly out tonight.

"Hn."

"Oh no…Paul, is this going to be one of those conversations where 'Hn.' is all you say?"

"Hn."

"That answers that…Well I'm going to sit right here until you come back into the Center!" Dawn said curtly, folding her arms and sitting up straight. Paul turned and gave her a doubtful look.

"In a skirt and sleeveless top? Good luck." Paul replied bitterly, though he was silently worried. 'Hope she doesn't catch anything.' Dawn gave him a defiant glare.

"I can handle it!" She stared ahead of her, still keeping that rebelling look in her eyes. The two sat in silence for awhile before a shiver escaped Dawn.

"How annoying…" Paul sighed, pulling off his blue jacket and placing it around Dawn's shoulders.

Dawn blinked a few times, contemplating what happened, before staring at Paul. Underneath his jacket, he wore a simple short sleeved black tee shirt. His arms were tight and muscular, showing many months of hard work with his Pokemon. Dawn felt a blush come to her face and felt a rush of gratitude that it was dark out. "Th-thanks, Paul but don't you need it?" Paul shrugged nonchalantly.

"I'm fine." In truth, the cold was already beginning to bite at his arms but he was determined to ignore it. 'No way am I going back in there.'

"Come on out, Cyndaquil." Dawn said, tossing one of her Pokeballs. Cyndaquil leapt out in a flash of red light.

"Quill!" He chirped cheerfully before leaping into Dawn's arms.

"Okay, Cyndaquil. How about a fire right there?" She pointed to the fire pit. Cyndaquil eagerly jumped at the pit with an Ember attack. He then turned around, his nose twitching as he sniffed the air. Upon noticing Paul, he let out a happy squeak before jumping into the boy's lap. Dawn smiled at Paul. "I think he likes you."

Paul nervously stroked the little fire mouse's fur. "It would appear so…" He murmured, gazing curiously at the tiny fire Pokemon. "Where'd you get him?"

"He hatched from an egg." Paul blinked and stared at her.

"You trained him from an egg?" He turned back to Cyndaquil, who was making a tiny purring sound on his lap. "Not bad." He stared at the crackling fire before saying, in what he hoped was a conversational tone, "How're your other Pokemon?"

"Well, Buneary, Piplup, and Pachirisu are all good. Mamoswine is still working on his Contest skills, as is Cyndaquil."

"I remember that you had an Ambipom. What happened to her?" Dawn got a sad expression on her face.

"She wanted to pursue Ping-Pong so I let her go." Paul stared curiously at her.

"You didn't release her because she was weak? You released her to let her pursue a dream?" Dawn nodded.

"Yeah. It seemed like the right thing to do, though I miss her a lot."

'Strange…releasing a Pokemon for reasons outside of weakness…' He allowed Cyndaquil to crawl onto Dawn's lap before staring back into the flames. He leaned back against the large tree trunk and closed his eyes. After a few minutes, he felt something warm snuggling against him and realized that it was Dawn. 'What?' He opened his eyes as Dawn was nestling her head in the crook of his neck. What the heck was she doing?! He was ready to ask her just that when something stopped him. He allowed himself to take a moment to gain his bearings. In truth, this felt really…nice. A light and blissful feeling arose in his chest and began to spread throughout his body. As it reached his face, he felt the corners of his mouth turn upward. Cyndaquil looked up curiously at him before letting out a delighted squeak.

"Quill!" The boy now had a sweet look on his face. His eyes were soft and sparkling and his mouth was caught in a small, slightly surprised smile. He was nice! Very nice! Cyndaquil nuzzled his hand, asking to be stroked. The boy immediately began stroking the black fur. That felt really good…

Dawn looked up at Paul and found her own eyes locked with his. The look on his face was so…kind. This new gentle expression showed her a completely different person than the Paul she knew. Subconsciously, she smiled back. "Lesson number one, complete." She whispered. 'Why is my voice so soft?' Paul allowed her to put her head back into its position on his shoulder. He was nice and warm…

'Can't wait till lesson two…' Paul thought to himself, bringing his head to a rest on top of Dawn's and falling asleep.

**Likey? No likey? I hope you likey! I showed more of Paul's soft side in this one and made it longer. I like reviews! *hint hint***


	4. Chapter 4

**I got many requests to update this fic. I figured that since it's Christmas, I owe ya'll a gift! I'm gonna update all of my fics except Back Into the Light and A Ride of Hope. (I got nothing for those two…) Anyway, here goes! In this Chapter, Ash goes to visit Torterra and begins to realize why Paul's Pokemon are so reluctant to leave him. Meanwhile, Dawn is helping Paul revise his training.**

Ash smiled softly at Torterra as he stood up to look at him. "You're persistent." He muttered, lightly stroking his healing head. "I got no doubts that you'll pull through." Torterra closed his eyes and smiled under Ash's kind touch. "You know, Paul and me were arguing yesterday and he told me that the reason you were so angry before was because he told you that you're gonna be my Pokemon." Torterra opened his eyes. "Is that true?" Torterra nodded mutely. Ash felt a little hurt. "Why? I'd treat you very well!" Torterra slowly extended one of his vines and pointed to Pikachu.

"Pika?" Pikachu tilted his head before nodding in understanding. Ash still was confused.

"What do you mean?" He watched Torterra move that vine to Pikachu's heart. It rested there for a moment before moving over Ash's heart. "You're saying that Pikachu and me…that our hearts…" He shook his head, confused.

"Terra." Torterra reached out with his other vine and placed it over Pikachu's heart before moving both vines back and twining them together.

"You're saying that Pikachu and me share a heart?" Torterra nodded and smiled. "What's that got to do with you?" Torterra moved one vine over his own heart while pointing out the window with the other. Ash followed where the vine was pointing to see Paul standing outside with Dawn. "And you're saying that you and Paul also share a heart?" Torterra nodded once more and his smile widened. Ash looked at Pikachu, who seemed to agree with Torterra. "I think I understand…" He thought back to the time when he had released Pikachu. He had thought it was best for Pikachu at the time, but Pikachu came back to him. 'And Torterra feels the same way…' "You wouldn't be happy with me no matter what, right?" Torterra nodded before putting a vine on Ash's shoulder, his eyes concerned. Ash grinned calmly. "Don't worry. I know it's nothing personal." Torterra looked relieved. "I'll help Paul and give him Electabuzz." Torterra looked thrilled.

"Terra! Torterra!" Ash chuckled at the Pokemon's sudden vitality.

"You're welcome!"

* * *

"I don't get what you're trying to tell me, Dawn. I work them to the limit and then put them in their Pokeballs. Where's there room for revision?"

Dawn sighed in exasperation. "You need to stop when they look tired and ask if they're okay to continue. Also, make sure to tell them that they're doing a good job."

Paul nodded slowly. 'Okay…I saw Ash doing that…' "Weavile, use Blizzard on Ursaring. Ursaring, counter with Hammer Arm." The snow was parted by the Hammer Arm and continued flowing back. "Now Magmortor! Stop it with Flamethrower!" Magmortor sent out a gust of flames which extinguished the ice. 'Perfect!' He felt that familiar sense of satisfaction at a nicely performed move. Catching a look from Dawn, he quickly said: "Great job!" His Pokemon all beamed at him. 'Huh…maybe there is something to this…' At that moment he heard Ash approaching. 'Oh no…'

"Hey, Paul!" Ash called, coming to a stop behind him. "Got a minute?"

"What is it this time?" Paul growled irritably. 'I was actually starting to enjoy myself too…'

"I wanna give you this." Ash tossed Electabuzz's Pokeball which Paul quickly caught. "Don't make me regret it, okay?" His eyes glittered despite his firm tone.

Paul's lips turned up in a small smile. "Thanks." He watched Ash walking away. "What happened?" Dawn walked over to him and smiled.

"I guess he had a change of heart. He wouldn't be the first." She winked at him before walking over to Ursaring to complement his Hammer Arm.

Paul felt a hot blush come to his face. 'What's wrong with me?!' He quickly distracted himself by letting Electabuzz out. "Come on out, Electabuzz." Electabuzz turned toward him curiously once he was out. "Ash decided to give you back. Let's see if we can do better this time around!" Electabuzz responded by hugging him tightly. Paul stiffened in surprise for a moment before hugging Electabuzz back, albeit awkwardly.

**NOTE! I NEED HELP FINISHING THIS CHAPTER! REVIEW WITH IDEAS ON OTHER THINGS THEY CAN DO WHILE TRAINING! WHEN I GET ENOUGH GOOD IDEAS, I'LL UPDATE THIS CHAPTER!**


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